The Lines Between Us All
by Spade's Shadow Queen
Summary: Shirin is just another player in this game to determine the fate of their world and to create the happy ending of the last. After disappearing for seven years, she makes her entrance once again to play her part in the spinning wheels of fate and in the end, she must make the hardest decision of all : To believe or Despair, To Save This World or the Last One.
1. I've Gone Back, But Time Hasn't Stopped

**AUTHORS NOTE: This is entirely a fanfic based off of the amazing Magi and all rights belong to the original author. Shirin and a few other characters are my own characters, but otherwise everything is based off of the plot of Magi and go at around the same place and pace. THANKS FOR READING (and please review!) (UPDATED)**

Walking down the gleaming hallways of the Kou palace was something Shirin had never expected to be able to do again. She hadn't expected much and she never did. However, that was her current situation. After being bought and sold sold so many times, it was nothing less of seer luck and coincidence that brought her to the place she was today, in front of the vault where the Kou Empire had locked away all her belonging, her past and everything that remained.

"Excuse me, but could you please unlock the door? I've been ordered to clean the vault" Shirin asks with a sickly sweet smile in place, the accumulation of years working as a slave the only things stopping her from cringing over her own actions.

"Are you sure?" one of the guards asks quizzically, worried that they may get in trouble no matter what they did. The vault was one of Prince Kouha's sacred places, and not following orders and following orders could both end with death.

"Pleaseeee, the first prince asked me to do it" she pleads.

"Fine" the other guard says, choosing to be protected by the first prince instead of the third. At least the first had more authority in matters like these, so he would retain his life longer.

"Finally, everything will come back to me" Shirin mutters, the complacent facade slowly slipping off as she steps through the doors, entering a room that made it seem like the Kou Empire had ripped out her room from her old palace and stuck it into their own.

Oh well, at least my stuff is all here, everything including my metal vessels and my clothing.

Shirin rummages through the closets and brings out a pair of clothing that she had prepared before the war in advance, one that had been meant far more important occasions, but now, was all she had to wear of her old country. She changes into the soft clothing and puts on her metal vessels, their cold weight a comforting presence she had long given up on. The purple military jacket with all its finery to remember the fallen with fits snuggly over the mint training dress while the sandals lace up nicely with the small uneven wings attached on the back.

Without a moment of hesitation, she swings open the doors, calmly facing the guards who were ready to attack her. She had waited too long for her chance and her anger was getting excited ; it hadn't been let loose in quite a while.

"Is there anyone who would like to say anything before I blast them to pieces" she says with a gleam in her eye as she pulls out a thin sword from it's scabbard.

"Oh Spirit of War and Pride, I summon thee with my magoi and an offering of blood, Come Forth Amdusias!" and with that she Dijn Equips, her ombre red hair growing into shaggy strips as metal cuffs with iron work designs covered her arms and legs. A half buttoned shirt was covered by a military cape jacket and poofy layers peeked from underneath. Long boots with tassels hanging off matched the looped chain choker around her neck completed the equip.

A small smile flits across her face, the rush of magic and adrenaline after so long a strange feeling. With a small sigh, she closes her eyes and raises her sword in front of her face as she steps forward and says "Dawlir Bararaq" and in turn electrocutes everyone with the currents dancing around her and in the air.

When she opens her eyes, she notices a familiar figure in front of her, blocking her way and transporting her electricity to gods knows where.

"Mei" she says, disappointed that she couldn't have caused more bloodshed yet knowing the nickname would bug him, especially coming from her.

"Shirin" he spits back as he walks towards her. In an instant, the two of them are fighting, Koumei's fan clashing with Shirin's sword.

With one swift move, Shirin grabs the fan, the soft feathers tickling her fingers. "I really have no intention to fight you, I only came to say hi and thanks for the job. By the way, where's En?" Shirin asks as she twirls the fan, knowing that every word would bother Koumei just as much as the half truths would. .

"Un-equip and I'll take you to where First Prince Kouen is" he says, stressing the importance of his older brother's title.

With a wave of her hand, Shirin unequips and waits for Koumei to show her the way.

Miffed, Koumei starts leading her, walking as fast as he can to ignore her. Through the maze of corridors, they reach Kouen's study and Koumei knocks softly on the door.

"Come in" a muffled voice says, a distracted tone laced into the words.

Koumei opens the door and Shirin walks into the room. "It's nice to see you again, En" she says, an innocent smile on her face.

"Rin?" Kouen says, slightly alarmed as he stops reading his scroll and turns away from it.

"So you still remember me" she says with a small laugh that did nothing for the mood.

"What is she doing here" Kouen says icily towards Koumei.

"Seems like she was bought as one of the new slaves earlier this week. I found her after she broke into Kouha's vault and stole back her Metal Vessels. She had transformed in the hallway and was about to kill the guards" Koumei responds with a slight sigh that never escaped.

"It's actually a funny story. I was stolen from home while waiting for you guys to bring the battle to my doorsteps, but instead I was kidnapped and forced into slavery. Guess sending all the soldiers and guards to the battlefield wasn't the best idea. I've been a slave for the past seven years, since that pointless battle ended" Shirin says with a glare. "By sheer fortune, after seventeen years of living, I finally found the luck I was looking for. Ending up here was truly a blessing of Solomon" she says, forgetting that Koumei and Kouen had no clue who Solomon is and in her opinion, should never know because of what they could do with that information.

Thankfully, Kouen and Koumei brush it off. "And what do you want to do about this" Kouen asks, his eye calculating her actions.

"I don't know, if there's really nothing else, I guess I should destroy your whole palace, maybe the whole empire. But at the same time, you guys did buy me, so I'm still technically your property. So the question is, what do you want to do with me" she says, her eyes meeting Kouen's as she speaks.

"Koumei, should we trust her?" Kouen asks as he gazes at Shirin, who after speaking was now absorbed with looking around the study and poking at the scrolls.

"We have nothing to lose. It's not mystery, from us at least. We've seen her fight, we know how she works, and with all that, it is without a doubt that we will suffer if we let her loose or force her into another cage. Giving her a position in court may be the only way to satisfy all the conditions without harming others" Koumei says after pondering the question, reluctantly telling Kouen the truth.

"Then I guess that's the final decision" Kouen said, thinking deeply as he rested his intertwined fingers in front of his face.

"Shirin" Koumei calls out, trying to get her attention.

"Yes" she says, an aura of calmness around her. If they hadn't known her better, they would have never felt the emotions boiling underneath the surface.

"How would you like to be a general in the Kou Empire" Kouen asks, turning his chair to face her.

"You guys made the right decision! Of course I'll become a general. But I do have some requests. " Shirin says as she walks up to Kouen and stops in front of his desk.

"What do you want' Kouen says, tensing up, knowing from experience that bargaining with the enemy is never easy.

"Well, I would like to become the governor of my country, though it's probably in ruins now, or you did you guys never get to knocking it down like you do to every other country you conquer?" Shirin asks, insulting their tactics to unite the world.

"For your information, we did not do that to Samarkand. Actually, the land wouldn't let us and Kouha got mad every time we tried" Koumei says and then stops himself, realizing that he had said too much.

"Nice, so it works" Shirin mutters to herself.

"Is that your only request?" Kouen asks as he starts getting irritated.

"Oh, I also want … about a three month break before I start, yeah that should be long enough. By the way, where are my household members?" Shirin starts as she stares off in the corner, trying to remember all of her demands before turning back to Kouen and holding his gaze.

"THREE MONTHS! ARE YOU KIDDING ME!" Kouen thunders as he stands up.. "On top of that, why should I know where your household members are".

Shirin walks past the desk and right up to Kouen. As she glares at him, she yanks the collar of his robe and brings his face closer to hers and says in a calm voice "Then three months should be enough for you to find them, you owe me that much after everything I've been through, If you decide to ignore the demands, I'll take the other route out of this scenario".

Kouen slaps her hand away from his collar and Shirin flinches. She had hoped they would remember that they were friends before this, that they had cared for each other. But the simple action proved Shirin wrong, and even if she had prepared herself for the chance of it happening, it was still a shock.

Before Shirin could respond to the slap, the door slams open and a flurry of light red hair enters the room.

"KOUEN WHAT HAPPENED TO MY VAULT!" Kouha roars as he stands in front of Kouen.

"Kouha, I would like you to meet our new general and also the cause of your issues" Kouen says warily as he gestures to Shirin.

"Hi, nice to see you too Kouha" Shirin says with an innocent wave and smile. It was better to just forget what had just happened and move on to the next incident.

"Shirin? Are you kidding me … WHAT IS GOING ON!" Kouha yells, his level of irritation growing with every second.

"We'll …. Let's see .. So first" Shirin starts saying, remembering all the details that had happened right before she broke into the vault up to the current situation and told Kouha.

Kouha just stares at Shirin, not believing she was actually there and that the movement was actually happening, but most of all, very irritated with the issue. No one had bothered giving him a heads up and now his vault was ruined until who knows when.

"Not bothering to listen? Oh well, you have a while for it to sink in while I'm gone for the next few months" Shirin says, not sure why Kouha continues to stare at her.

"Koumei, can you set a transportation circle to the Great Rift for me, I want to make the most of my three months" Shirin says as her gaze breaks away from Kouha.

As Shirin steps through the circle, Kouha unconsciously reaches out his hand, the shock still not settling, only to have Shirin disappear once again.


	2. The First Step to the Future

**Author Note : Thanks to everyone who's following/favoriting/reviewing this story, I never expected it to be so well received. Well here's the second chapter, it's a little short but the next chapter will definitely be a long one. Enjoy and please review! (UPDATED)**

"Why does he have to live at the bottom of this stupid canyon. " Shirin says with a sigh. But she couldn't stay mad at Yunan for too long and a small smile appears on her face. "Might as well take the risk if he's giving me the chance" she says and jumps down.

She continues falling for a while, the darkness slowly closing in on her the further she goes. The feeling of weightlessness disconcerting but also freeing, and the only thing she could do was live in the moment.

After what seems like an eternity, the bottom comes close and she sees the glow of Yunan's cabin, the comforting warmth a faint reminder of her past. Suddenly, she bounces in mid air, cushioned by Yunan's magic to keep her from falling to her death.

"I would have liked a warning" Yunan chides with a small smile as he stands next the slowly descending Shirin.

"Come on, you already knew I was coming. And indulge me sometimes, even if I'm only your second favorite King Vessel" Shirin replies, brushing off her clothing as she lands softly.

"Don't say that" Yunan says sadly, the truth a little too much for him.

"And you shouldn't lie to me either, so now we're even" Shirin retorts. "But never mind that, you should know exactly why I'm here".

Yunan sighs and then replies " Of course. You're special too, and I trust you'll use the new one properly. And you need it too, to counterweight Judar's touch on you"

"So you'll do it! " Shirin exclaims, her hands clasped together out of relief that Yunan agreed to help her.

"Of course, shall we?" Yunan says with a wave of his staff and they float up to fly to the nearest dungeon.

As they fly along, Yunan strikes up some small talk with Shirin. "How were the past seven years? I apologize for not helping".

"No hard feelings, you had your job, I had mine. The years went by the way they happened, nothing more or nothing less. " Shirin says

"Where were you" Yunan asks as he gazes at the horizon, trying to judge where the dungeon was and how much longer they had.

"I'm not even sure, it was some obscure and small country. I was kept in the same place for most of the time. Then the country got caught in war between two countries and everyone got sold as slaves. I managed to get sold to Kou about a year ago. Before entering the palace, I was at some random nobles house. I screwed up while I was there and ruined one of their parties so they re-sold me and I ended up at the palace" Shirin says as she spins around in the air, enjoying the feeling of being up in the sky.

"Seems like you went through a lot " Yunan says as he gazes at Shiring, trying to perceive what really happened and how deep the scars were.

"Isn't it always like this" Shirin says as she gazes off in the distance, lost in her own mind. Then as an afterthought, she adds " Why do you always choose the half depraved as your King Vessels? Do you think that the broken ones are the worthy ones, because to me, it seems like either way, we're all the same" .

Yunan smiles wistfully, taking in the hardships that seemed to burden Shirin. "But don't you think that the half depraved are also the ones who seem trust themselves the most and hold the most hope" he says as they land softly in front of a towering building in the middle of a grassy plain.

"Maybe? " Shirin says with a awe as she stares at the dungeon, the darkness chased away as quickly as it appeared . Even after entering dungeons so many times, the sight of them still amazed her. To think that these buildings connected to Alma Torran and contained the power to make the kings of this world was a concept she was still unable to wrap her mind around

"Are you ready to enter?" Yunan asks. "As always, I'm not going to go in, this is your battle".

"Of course, I will be heading in then. Please wait for me" Shirin says as she walks towards the entrance to the dungeon. "Thank you" she whispers right before she steps through the arch to another world.


	3. Flashback Time Travel

**UPDATED!**

Soft light surrounds her as she travels in the stream of light between the second world and Alma Torran. At the end, the light drops her off in a chamber within the dungeon. The chamber was completely made of mirrors that reflected her. She looked around and noticed a clear tiled bridge that leads out of the room and into another one.

"Well, this is where it begins" Shirin says as she stands up, mentally preparing herself for what was to come.

She steps onto the bridge, the first tile under her shining with a brilliant light. As she starts for the second title, a rush of memories comes flooding to her head.

Happy memories … Everyone is still alive, everyone is still at home … The fragrance of a field of flowers behind the palace...There's a smile on everyone's face … When everything was so much simplier. I can still see them, the people .

"Big Sis Shirin!" "First Princess Shirin" "Shirin!"

"Stop. STOP. STOP!" Shirin says with a murmur that quickly becomes a hoarse yelling contest. The happy memories opening the small cracks she had tried to pretend didn't exist, the ones that had started her on the path she was now. They were the happy memories that had disappeared so quickly, so fleetingly, and they always made her unsure of what was right. "Please don't do this to me, I don't want to doubt the path I have chosen, I have taken" she whispers.

This is your past, a single point that led to the current you. Is your answer to forget it all and leave it behind? To forget and pretend that none of these matter to you anymore?

A voice echoes into her head, clearly cutting through the thousand of points inside her head that were spinning around in dizzying circles.

"When I pretend it never happened, it doesn't mean I forget! I keep it inside, to tell me that I have something I'm fighting for, that there's more than all the pain I feel. But it would be suicidal to keep the memories open all the time. I would start doubting the good things, the right things. It helps me remember that I can be happy, that there is always something for me to go back to, even when I don't believe my own words" Shirin says pleadingly, trying to convince the voice to stop the images from continuously appearing in her head.

With a soft sigh, the memories disappear and she shakes off the prickly feeling on her skin,

"What type of dijn controls anything remotely like this" Shirin mutters under her breath, mentally preparing herself for what was to come if she continued down the bridge.

As she steels her mind, Shirin takes the next step down the bridge. The moment her feet touches down on the next tile, the second wave of her life comes rolling through.

"This is our daughter Shirin, we hope she will be enough to convey our sincerity in this alliance" the queen of Samarkand says as she, her husband, and her daughter bow in front of Kou royalty.

"She should be fine, Judar, do you think she has the makings?" the emperor says as Judar steps forward, his gaze slowly calculating the site in front of him.

"She'll do" he says with a flippant wave, "I'll be back later" and then walks out of the throne room.

The memory then flashes out and another replaces it.

" Let's see … What should I make you do first. " Judar inquires as he smirks as Shirin, the young girl cowering in front of him, scared of their first official meeting as another candidate for Judar to train. "Ahhh … Of course, let's go conquer a dungeon!".

The memory flashs forwards and suddenly,

"So weak! Is that all you can do" Judar says as he snarls at the fallen girl. They had been in the dungeon for weeks, battling the monsters inside non-stop.

"There's only so much I can do" Shiriin says warily, the cuts on her arms and knees still bleeding. The next thing she knows, she's fainted, everything that had happened too much for her growing mind to take in with one go.

When she recovers, Judar is sitting next to her. "Nice going, brat" he says as he ruffles his hair, a snarl laced into his voice, and then stands back up. "No time to waste, you still have to capture this dungeon." he says.

"I forgot … " Shirin starts as she stares at her hands as the teardrops formed. "I had started to forget that I used to care. I forgot that the war was to save both Kou and Samarkand, that we were all once friends who fought and laughed for each other. I forgot how tainted I had become." she whispers. "Why did so many things change, how did it change. Does the world always head towards the same point?"

The voice comes back to divide her once again.

Will you put down your sword now? Will you change your path, you have nothing to fight for. Are you even the right person for this path?

"You're wrong. I'm not only fighting for my revenge, if it was only that, I wouldn't have gone as far as I have on this path. No matter how many memories you throw at me, I will continue. And I think we can all be friends again, someday. This is more than my path, this is the flow of the Rukh." she says, first weakly, then with more defiance.

As you wish.

"How deep will it dig through my memories? Don't tell me it'll dig far enough to memories of the soul and not just this life … " Shirin says desperately, not wanting everything to be revealed so easily. "I'll make a run for it, hopefully that will decrease the number of times I have to go through this".

She starts running, only to be thrown back to the ground by the next tile, even more shattered moments coming back.

"No, no, not again, no more … " she whispers before falling back into the haze of memories.

"They're planning something, I don't think the peace and our alliance will last for that much longer" the king and queen of Samarkand whisper frantically.

"Do you need a hand?" a man cloaked in green says as he suddenly appears out of thin air.

After a small conversation between the three, the queen leaves to bring their young daughter over and the man cloaked in green transports the two of them to a dungeon.

"Please, no more dungeons" the girl whispers, a haunted look appearing in her eyes.

"No worries, I'm not Judar, though we both are magi. I'm Yunan. It's nice to meet you, child blessed by the Rukh. " he says, a soft smile gracing his face.

"Yunan really did teach me that my potential is limitless and that I can grow and learn. He had a teaching style so different from Judar's. Both of them have left a mark that has helped me become who I am" she says with a soft smile. "Honestly though, I don't think there's anything I regret about this. I've come to terms with what happened in the dungeons and become a better person from each trial I encountered. "

As the memories start filing into her mind, her eyes widen out of horror. "Not that night" she whispers hoarsely, already regretting her previous confidence.

She was waiting, waiting to fight her friends in the last battle, to determine everyone's fate. But luck wasn't on her side, like always. A third party has taken advantage of the war and stole into the palace, kidnapping an unaware princess as she slept. She had ended up in country that had so much money that they wasted their money for everything and anything. All that money had lead to a forever changing government and overthrown royalty. She had been sent to the just overthrown royal family, who treated their slaves as decorations for when guests came and dirt when there was no one to show off to. All the slaves had become blank shells of their former self, leaving Shirin in a battle against her very nature. Her way of dealing with people like this had always been to argue back, to have a larger personality than they did, or at least it had always worked against Judar. Now, it was her downfall.

"If you step out of line one more time, the punishments won't be as nice" one of the masters said as they had poured boiling water over back where she fresh wounds from being whipped continued to bleed.

Shirin blinked as the images slowly faded away, her body sweating heavily from the fear. She hurriedly grasps at all of the scars lining her arms, the markings echoing the former pain. " No. no. no. no." Shirin says in a shaking voice as each of the images flashes through like stray lightning from Amdusias's magic. "I don't want anymore of these memories" she says and starts crying, the tears falling down her face.

Do you give up. Are you unable to overcome the past? Will you stop here.

Shirin doesn't answer, her sobbing filling the air. Then, with a trail of tears on her face, she stands up, a little too far lost for proper judgement.

" Spirit of of Madness and Judgement, I -" she begins before the voice interrupts her again.

Do not take the easy way out and hide behind the power you wield.

The equip slowly falls away and Shirin stands there, frozen as she stares off in space. "I can't escape that past no matter what, so I'll continue running" she says. "Running until there's nowhere else for me to run". With shaking movements, she steps towards the last section of the bridge, the djinn of the dungeon letting her through.

She closes her eyes and waits for the next flow of memories. All she wanted to do was get past this last tile and stop the memories from returning.

Suddenly, with a jolt, her eyes open as her face pales, the image of two people, their eyes mirroring her own, sapphire to sapphire, seared into her brain.

"Don't tell me that you can see that far … It can't be, it can't be - "


	4. Force of the Will

**Author Note : Chapters from here on out will most likely contain spoilers about the story, so if you aren't at least halfway updated with the story, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. Other than that, I'd just like to thank you guys all for reading and giving so much to love to my story. Please read and review and I hope you enjoy! UPDATED!**

"It can't be, David and Solomon" she whispers, the voice in her head already translating the spoken words to 'Father and Brother'.

The two of them were standing in front of me, the glowing buildings of the cathedral district in front of us.

"Look at this view and remember it, someday, this will all be yours, yours and Solomon's" David says with a pride, both of his remaining kids standing in front of him. "This is your world!" and a strange gleam starts to appear in his eyes.

David and the cathedral district flash out of sight and a new memory quickly replaces the last one. .

"It seems like almost everything is lost, our whole world destroyed. All I see is a broken world where even hope seems lost, yet how are you in front of me able to view it all with understanding " Solomon says as he surveys the damage, all that was left of the aftermath of the war against Abra.

All of us stood there, bleeding from fighting alongside Solomon. We all had small role in his resistance, but none of us had moved up very far. Somehow, we had managed to survive the whole fight against Al-Thamen and were facing the future with Solomon, though barely.

"What am I saying, I can see it all. Even without the details, I can tell how your paths are the best and the worst. You understand the nature of life so well that I can barely believe that I am only meeting you now. You have seen how the world is neither bad nor good, and in the end, you all know when the right world has come to place" he says, his eyes blazing with a fire from the days when he had been alive and part of the resistance.

"So, what about it" one of us croaks out, too tired and weary to give what Solomon had said much thought.

With a blazing light, he starts speaking and says "You will all be the judges of the future. When someday, the world decides to start over, you will make the final decision on if that world is worth saving" he says, his voice thundering into the the empty silence as his seal appears behind him. "You are the council of my seal, the ones who will help the world on it's path and decide if Alma Torran can be achieved".

The soft light rains upon them, gifting them with a blessing of Solomon that would forever be with them.

"This is why I can always move on, because I've realized that there is more to the world than me and so many other people have suffered and sacrificed more than I have. I remember what it was like there, and I want to go home too, just like you do. It's where what's inside belongs" she says, pointing to her heart. "Humans are selfish and greedy people, but if I can become a King who can put us on the right path, I'll have returned my debt to Solomon, to all the people who died instead of me. I will be able to save those who may go down my path from suffering".

Home …

The voice says and then remains silent. Shirin takes it as approval and walks down, happy that the ordeal was over, but also reaching a bit more peace with her memories. Her thoughts about them were less angry and more of a bittersweet ache. But for now, they were put back where they belonged, deep in her heart to remind her of her roots without destroying what she had become.

She reaches the end of the bridge and enters the next chamber. Inside, she see's an entrance to a tunnel and a small stand with an inscription.

"Drink this and never be harmed from what you find inside the tunnel" Shirin reads, instantly translating the ancient language on it, her schooling as a princess kicking in.

She lifts the vial up and judges it before putting it back down. "What's fun about not truly getting to experience the fight" she says with a slight grin. And how do I prove I'm a worthy King if I don't survive what's inside through my own power?".

With that, she heads into the tunnel, quickly swallowed up by the darkness. "Why can't I see anything" she grumbles angrily as she continues walking, the tunnel seemingly endless. Suddenly, she feels something wrap around her arms, a light appearing before her hanging off of a toothy plant.

Shirin lets out a small involuntary scream at the grotesque figure, it's white colorless eyes staring back at her. After staring at each other for a while, the plant nudges something into Shirin's palm. The glowing light that was hanging off it's blinker let out a small ray of light that illuminated the object in her hand. She picks up the pendant and waves it around trying to figure out what to do with it. Then she puts it against her lips, the plant finally nodding at her actions.

The moment the pendant touches her lips, a soft glow stars surrounding her, the aches and heaviness in her body disappearing.

Shirin starts laughing, the cryptic message starting to make sense. "It's a test of courage. Of course. If I had taken the potion in the vial, the pendant would have killed me instead of healing me. Thank you" she says and slips it into one of the pockets on her military jacket. The light winks out and the darkness clears away as she appears at the other side of the tunnel.

After she adjusts to the light, she notices six dungeon creatures standing before her, their mish mashed figure towering over her.

"Look what we have here, someone has decided that they have the guts to go against us" one of the creatures says.

"Worried about me? Don't be" she says challengingly, a smile already appearing across her face. She reaches behind her to pull out her scythe, ready to show why she was always feared when it was in her hands.


	5. Questioning Without Answers

**UPDATED! Please read and review and I would love to hear your thoughts on what should happpppppen! Thanks for reading!**

"That was too easy, I would have expected more" Shirin says as she gazes at the carnage before her. All six creatures were on the floor, small piles of dust after being defeated by her. "But it seems like I can finally enter the heart of this dungeon" she says as she grabs the colorful jewels from the remains. She walks to the gate on the other side of the room and inserts them into the small pockets on the towering gate.

As the last gem sinks into place, the gate starts opening with a sigh to the resting place of the djinn.

"The Cathedral District? You've got to be joking ..." Shirin mutters, exasperated as she noted the irony that home was a little closer than she had thought it was. She races to the middle of the district to stand at balcony from her flashback and gazes at the ruins. "Of course it would be different, only an idiot would believe that it was still the same " she mutters.

With a final sigh, she turns around and walks into the ceremonial room within the Cathedral District. There, she starts looking for the djinn's resting place and finally locates it on an intricate drawing. After she wades through the sea of objects to the other side of the room, she rest her hand against the Seal of Solomon. 

"I am Seir, the djinn of Hope and Envy. Who has summoned me to become King" the towering blue figure that appeared asks. Her darkly outlined eyes gaze at Shirin under the horns resting on her forehead. The armor and red necklaces covering her chest clink as she leans to take a close look of of Shirin. With a small wave of her hand, the magnifying glass on the djinn's ear floats down and she uses it to more closely examine Shirin. "Pendant" she says and Shirin scrambles to grab the pendant she had stored in her pocket.

"Here" she says and drops the glowing pendant into Seir's outstretched hand.

"It's useful for the trial, but I can't help feeling uncomfortable without it" Seir says with a sigh as she attaches it onto one of the long chains looped around her neck. "So, you're the one who wants to become King".

"Yes" Shirin says as she stands under the scrutinizing eye of Seir.

"Before we do that, it seems like we have something to discuss, Child of David" the djinn says.

"Of course" Shirin says with a sigh.

"Your memories were quite an amazing reel. How is it that both Solomon and David have never seeked you out or found you? You have something that neither of them have and would have been useful for the war " Seir ask as she lazes around in the chamber. The djinn still remembered the war and how everything would have helped. On top of that, hiding away from two of the most powerful people in Alma Torran was no easy feat. The only thing that made Seir feel better was that Shirin was related to them, she was part of the family that did amazing things.

"I was in the resistance, but tried to keep it low. My abilities wouldn't have changed the outcome, especially because Arba decided to betray us all. And why would they try to find me? David threw me out of the house and had believed I was dead and had passed that message on to Solomon" she says.

"Why were you thrown out?" Seir says with a chuckle, amused by the fact that obedience didn't seem to come easy to anyone in the family.

" Because I saw what he was doing in the towers long before Solomon did and realized what it would all lead to. But I was foolish and faced him about, and I was too young to fight back. I was lucky that he had a soft spot for me being his daughter. . " Shirin replies.

"It's a very interesting story, will you tell me more?" Seir asks, her expression already telling Shirin that she knew the reply.

"There's a lot more to the story, but it will all be revealed in due time" Shirin says with a small smile.

"I guess that's my answer for now, patience is a virtue, I guess" Seir mutters.

"So will you choose me to be King" Shirin asks, wanting the answer as soon as possible.

Solomon's seal appears on Shirin's ring and Seir says "Welcome my King, may Hope wash away all envy"


	6. The Tides Will Change

"Yunan!" Shirin yells as she waves at him from the pit that the dungeon had left behind. "I did it!"

"Seems like you did. I guess now it's off to do the next step. Do we find the rest of the council or head off to Samarkand? " Yunan says with a smile, barely betraying his emotions.

"Don't bother with the council, in their own sick way they knew I was alive the whole time. " Shirin replies. "Anyways, how long did I take in there?

"A month, not that bad, you still have two left" Yunan replies as he waves his staff to bring Shirin and the dungeon items out of the pit.

"I guess off to Samarkand and then back to Kou. There's really nothing else I have to do, my entrance back will come together on it's own" she says with a smile and the two of them head to Samarkand.


	7. Our Best Bet My Way

**AUTHOR NOTE : I apologize for the weird formatting on the chapters, it keeps on happening and I will try to make sure that it doesn't happen again. Thanks for reading and all the love! Please review and send me your ideas!**

"It seems the same" Shirin says nostalgically as they land in Samarkand. "They didn't lie, everything is still the same".

"Well, Miss Governor, are you going to introduce yourself to the people" Yunan says as he watches Shirin spin around.

" I shoulddd" Shirin says despite not actually paying attention. She was just too into everything around her.

"Come on" Yunan says with a small sigh and starts dragging her into the city.

Suddenly, everyone around her starts murmuring, Shirin's ombre hair already signalling who she was.

"Princess?" a hunched figure says as it stumbles towards them.

"Huh?" Shirin says as she turns around, the bony fingers grasping onto her's.

The old woman's eyes start watering, the tears dripping down her face. "You're still here".

"The old housekeeper …" Shirin says unsure what to do as the old woman collapses to the ground, crying. .

After a while, the crying stops and Shirin helps the old women stand up. "We'll all be okay" she whispers and then to the whole crowd, she says " I' have come back to take control of Samarkand on the behalf. "

The whole crowd erupts into mess of emotions, relief and excitement and some regret all mixed together.

"Princess, if I'm mistaken, but you have re-aligned us with Kou, correct?" a voice says icily, riling up the crowd and creating a mass of whispers.

Shirin turns to face of the dissenter, already realizing that it was the daughter of a former court member, Silvia Siran.

"Weren't you already aligned with Kou? " Shirin states, completely ignoring the main point that Silvia had pointed out.

"That's not it" she says exasperated. "Why didn't you fights to make Samarkand independent? Do you realize how much we have suffered under them?" SIlvia asks, growing more and more confident with each word.

"I'm sorry, but… You know… But from what I see " Shirin says as she gestures around her, " Kou hasn't really been able to do anything to Samarkand… And you do realize that if we don't go along with Kou, Reim or Magnostatt or Parthevia or Sindria could all come in and try to conquer us. With Kou. I at least have some leverage within their system." Shirin says, trying to ease the tensions.

"Leverage. How could you have any leverage" Silvia says admonishingly. She didn't know that Shirin had already been in Kou and the deal she had managed to make.

"I am now a general in the Kou army and with permission with the Emperor, will most likely marry into the Ren line. At least, that's what they usually do for situations like this. " Shirin states. "Now unless the other countries can create such favorable advantages for us, I think this is the best deal we have and should take. "

The crowd is shocked into silence when a few more figures start crying. "Princess, why are you going so far for us, you know they can't touch us. " Shirin took their comments lightly, knowing that emotions like these could easily change.

Kou really couldn't harm the landscape and change the way the people lived, but they could still kill them. The land itself had a magic so deep that it had seeped into the people's culture and enforced the will that kept it alive, ensuring that the base of Samarkand couldn't disappear .

"They can kill you, and they can kill me, isn't that enough reason for me to go this far?. Either way, from now on, Samarkand is mine. " Shirin calmly says and the crowd finally starts celebrating the downfall of their previous governor and the return of the ruler they thought they had lost.

"I think that went well, you really are a King Vessel" Yunan says with a small smile, hiding his laughter as they leave the city center.

"People change very quickly, don't they" she murmurs, trying to sort out her feelings on being back. "Was that okay. I didn't screw up, did I" Shirin asked nervously as she leaves her stupor and starts wringing her hands. "I know that i shouldn't be like this, but just being back here makes me think I need to do something big to make a change, and that may not have been enough. "

"You were fine, and really, I think you should be more worried about your entrance back to Kou. " Yunan says as he places her hands in his to stop her from shredding her nails out of worry.

"That is the last thing I'll worry about" Shirin says with an plotting grin. "Who do you think would make a better statement, Seir or Andromalis?


	8. Grand Entrances to a New Home

**AUTHOR NOTE: Thanks for all the love! Please tell me what you think and review!**

"We're here" Yunan says as the two hover above the Kou palace.

Shirin gazed at the palace before her, the wings of Andromalis's keeping her afloat. The piece of cloth that was a combination of regular cloth, metal sheets, and chainmail sections did little to keep out the cold and the intricate designs on her body kept peeking out, but she was too excited to feel the chill from the height they were at. Her windswept hair was made messier from the wind and the flowers caught in it were threatening to fly away. On top of it, the jewelry with seed were clinking like wind chimes

"You're not coming with me, are you" Shirin says, a hint of her child like nervousness bleeding through. She wasn't afraid, but sometimes, it was just easier to have some by your side to go through each step of the journey.

"I'm sorry, but I have another place to be. Now down you go" he says with a sad smile. He was leaving Shirin again, and this time, he wasn't sure when the next time they saw each other would be.

"Bye" Shirin says with a wave and starts gathering speed as she heads to the open courtyard. She lands with a loud boom, denting the surrounding ground.

"INTRUDER" the guards yell the moment the dust clears.

As they crowd around Shirin, she jumps up and kicks at them, her winged sandals helping her kick faster and harder. "Really, if you had given me a moment, I would have told you I wasn't an intruder." she says, acting puzzled over why she attacked. "Oh wellllllll, at least I didn't have to use any real attacks on them" she says and starts walking into the surrounding building.

"Miss Shirin, First Prince Kouen has asked me to take you to the location he is at" Seishuu, one of Kouen's household members, says, stopping Shirin before she makes it into the building.

"Seriously? I'm flattered that he sent you. To think I'm worth a household member's attention. " Shirin says with an innocent smile while still in her equip.

Seishuu glance at her and says "Honestly, why do they even put up with you".

"Why you put up with me should be what you ask. And why is that even a question? Isn't it just because they miss me and offered me a position in the army?" Shirin says nonchalantly.

"You're getting offered a positions?" Seishuu exclaims, surprised that he hadn't heard of any information about the subject.

"No, I'm being given a position, right now" Shirin says as she throws open the doors to the room, setting her sights on all of the officials of the Kou Empire and the royal family standing at the head of the room.

"It's nice to see all of you again" Shirin says with a smile. "Wow, there's a huge change in faces. Hakuei has a djinn, Hakuryuu looks even more sullen if possible, five of the princesses disappeared, and Kougyoku's higher in line with a djinn too. "

"Shirin Shahryar, step forward" Kouen says, his voice thundering throughout the room. He continues glaring at her, warning her from saying anything else out of line.

"Formalities from the beginning, huh" Shirin mutters as she steps forward and bows to Kouen.

"From this day on, Shirin Shahryar is now the general of the Kou Empire's Sentry Corps" Kouen says, resting his sword on Shirin's shoulder. "You may rise" and Shirin stands up after Kouen lifts his sword off of her.

"What of- " Shirin starts before Kouen interrupts her.

"That's all" Kouen says and the officials file out, leaving Shirin with the Ren siblings.

"- my household" Shirin hisses out, angry that she was cut off before finishing.

"I didn't forget" Kouen says and gestures to the people behind a silk curtain to come out.

"All here in perfect form. These were the three you asked for, I assume. "Koumei says.

"Parviz Theophylact" Kouemi says as one of the figures steps out, his teal hair a shaggy mess.

As he walks closer to Shirin, who had undone her equip, he bursts out" Your majesty! " and starts hugging her, his golden eyes tearing up. "Stupid, idiot, how could you!" he says and then starts scolding her.

Shirin starts laughing and replied "It's nice to see you too, though it seems like you haven't changed much, just as blunt and protective, truly the Amdusias's perfect match.

"Really, you could wait until I finish speaking for the extra words" Koumei says and then leads on to the next name, " Nizami Resafa"

With quiet steps, Nizami starts heading towards Shirin and in a blur, points her dagger next to her throat.

"Do you always have to do that when you see me? I can't even say hi to your purple hair.. . " Shirin says jokingly and pushes the dagger away. "Jeez" she mutters and then falls into Nizami's outstretched arms.

Nizami gently pats Shirin's head, too choked up for words, her silver eyes conveying all the words needed. (But then again, she was always one of few words, surprising for the household member of the ever talking Ipos).

"Please tell me this sob story will end soon" Koumei mutters with a sigh and then proceeds onto the final member they had been tasked to search for. "Antioch Evagrius"

"How long do you think you were going to keep us waiting" Antioch says and he walks up, his orange red hair tied up only to be untamed further down.

"Why did I forget how much I hated handling you" Shirin says a little breathless, too caught up in the fact that he was in front of her.

"Isn't it because you love me as much as Andromalius does" he replies with a cocky grin, his green eye shining.

"Yeah, that might be it " Shirin says and finally starts tearing up.

"Your majesty, we have returned under your care and service" the three say as the bow in front of her.

"It's good to have you back, even if you guys are annoying" she says through sniffs. "It's really good".


	9. There's No Time Like Today

"Now that all that's settled, what exactly do I do as the general of the Sentry Corps?" Shirin asks after she had recovered from reuniting with her household members.

"I want to challenge Shirin" Kouha says, cutting through what Kouen was going to reply.

"We do still need to settle why you stole all of my stuff" Shirin adds on.

"I didn't steal it, I was …." Kouha starts, then stops, realizing that he was better off not revealing the real reason why he had taken. "Nevermind" he says, his face slightly flushed.

"Still hiding it, huh" Kouen whispers with a smirk.

"What did you say?" Shirin asks, hearing his muttering but unable to disconcern what he had said.

"Nothing" Kouen replies, schooling his face into his usual unmoving one. "Well, let's proceed with the match" he drawls out.

"Here?" Shirin asks, worried that the room and the entire wing may be destroyed.

"Of course not, we're going to the training center" he says and Koumei opens a transportation circle for them. The whole group is immediately transported into one of the numerous training areas within the palace grounds.

"Why are all of the officials here" Shirin asks, suspicious.

"To see your worth of course" Kouen replies matter of factly. "Before we start the match, I would like to inform everyone on General Shirin's new assignment. " he starts.

"I finally get to know what I get to do" Shirin says as she starts tapping her feet out of anticipation.

"She will accompany Prince Hakuryuu and Princess Kougyoku on their trip to Sindria" Kouen declares with a knowing grin directed to Shirin.

"Look's like you'll be playing babysitter to those two" Antioch whispers to Shirin.

"Shut up" Shirin says with a groan and then glares at Kouen.

"There's nothing you can do about, he declared it to the officials for a reason" Nizami says calmly, trying to ease Shirin's mind.

Shirin slowly twists the ring on her pinkie, the silver designs flashing in the light as she calculates the situation, making sure that nothing else would happen that would surprise her. With a sigh, she says " Kouen doesn't even realize how the whole situation is even worse for me than they realize …", already unnerved by the idea of meeting Sinbad, again.

Distractedly, she jumps down into the arena, only to have Kouha swing his sword at her, a small cut appearing on her cheek.

"Jeez, you could have waited until I was ready" she says with a glare.

"And how long would that have taken?" he asks with a sly grin.

With a sigh, she starts and calls out " The Spirit of Greed and Curiosity, I summon thee with an offering of magoi, bring forth thine household, Ipos, Come Forth!".

With that, Shirin quickly equips, a long cloth covering her chest with an X and a long skirt with curling designs on it appearing. Patches of snake scales and small snakes materialize on her arms and neck, interlacing with the golden chain covering her body.

"Agh… The only thing I hate about this equip is that the eyes on my palms burn from the lines of fire that connect my daggers to my hands. " she says with a sigh, causing the net of carnelians in her hair to clink loudly.

"Less talking please" Kouha chides as he swings his sword at Shirin.

With a flick of her hand, the daggers attached to her fingers fly up, knotting into a net that follows her as she races closer to Kouha.

"Not going to happen" he says as he notices her approaching him.

"Fine" she shoots back and then undoes the net, aiming them at the Kouha's sword and tying them onto it. When she feels them tighten, she pulls on the strings, trying to sweep the sword out of his grasp.

"You do realize that Leraje is a strength djinn, right?" Kouha asks, amused by the fact that Shirin had started a battle of strength against a djinn who specialized in giving their King Vessel more strength.

"That's not it" Shirin says with a smirk and then flies up, her lines of fire pulling her up to Kouha's sword. She carefully tests the sharp point with her high boots, ensuring that she was steady on the thin point. "This better?" she asks and points all her daggers at Kouha.

"And I can just shrink my sword' he replies, the sword instantly shrinking underneath Shirin, causing her to fall down.

"But you forgot I can fly too" she says and one of the daggers starts propelling her upward to the point where she was standing level with Kouha.

The two stare at each other for a few seconds, and then, like an unspoken message, the two charge at each other, yelling as Kouha's sword clashed against the storm of daggers coming from Shirin.

An exhilarating smile appears on Shirin's face, the fact that she was fighting just for fun of it the perfect way to shock her into the present.

Then, she suddenly notices Judar from the corner of her eye, his smirk washing away all reasoning from her mind. With lightning quick movements, she angrily slashes her daggers at Kouha, the movement surprising him and creating numerous cuts along his arm as Shirin races over to Judar.

"Spirit of Madness and Judgement, I command thee to bring forth your reasoning and allow thine wisdom to shine above, convey my will, Ronove, Come Forth!" she exclaims as she heads towards. Judar. In an instant, Ipos's equip melts away, her attire changing to a long robe of orange and gold in the style of Kou's royalty, the collar slightly flared open. A headpiece of feathers appears that melt seamlessly into the feathers at the corners of her eyes. Separate pieces of cloth fan up behind her and a choker like belt is wrapped around her waist.

As she lands on the ground, her bare feet lightly walking her closer to Judar, a slight chiming coming from the weight like earring. She become oblivious to everyone but Judar, the long nails digging into her palms as she clenches them, one around her scythe.

"Look who decided to come back, did you miss me?" Judar says with a knowing grin.

"As if" she says with a snort.

"But you're greeting me with my equip" he retorts, referencing the fact that Ronove was Shirin's first djinn, and the first one he had helped her gain.

"I am greeting you with what it has become" she says, and Judar finally notices her red eyes, a side effect of the trauma leaking into the equip. Slowly, he noticed the small details that had changed, the sharper edges and darker colors a contrast to the image in place in his memory.

"Quite interesting" Judar says, his eyes still bright as ever.

In a swift movement, Shirin sweeps her scythe, aiming it at Judar's heart.

Judar tsks and then says " And I thought you were here to thanks me".

"Are. You. Joking. " she hisses as she continues slashing, the tip of the scythe narrowly missing him each time. A wave of rage flows out of her, twisting her emotions into an angry dark mess.

"I remember teaching you what respect is" he says and with a wave of his small wand, sends Shiring crashing to the ground from his usage of gravity magic. He hovers over her, enjoying the control.

"You do realize that I have enough strength to fight against your gravity" she says as she slowly stands up, slightly stumbling against the force.

With a smirk, Judar walks past her and whispers " And what will you do if I use my magic to kill everyone you love? Even you wouldn't be able to protect that many people".

Shirin freezes, and with a look of pure hatred, stalks out of the arena, leaving behind the fight for a later date.


	10. Just a Little Girl

**AUTHOR NOTE : Sorry it took me so long to update, i'll try to keep the time between chapter updates shorter. Thanks for all the love, and please tell me what you guys would like to see out of the story. Thanks and enjoy!**

The boat gently rocked as they sailed closer and closer the Sindria. Shirin was still fuming about her encounter with Judar, having been forced onto the boat a few hours after she had walked out of the fight.

"Shirin, it's fine, you don't have to be so grumpy" Kougyoku says as she tries to raise Shirin's spirits.

"Like you have anything good to tell Sinbad" Shirin retorts, Kougyoku miffed at her response.

"We're almost there" Hakuryuu says as he gazes into the distance, a small speck growing larger and larger.

"I really don't want too" Shirin says with a sigh.

"We'll, you're going down with us" Kougyoku says, a twitching grin appearing on her face.

"Got ittttttt" Shirin drawls, mentally preparing herself for the encounter. "Do I need to do anything while Kougyoku does her accusations?"

"No" Hakuryuu says with a sigh.

The boat reaches the port and the three walk off the ship. In front of them, the city shines brightly from the sun. SInbad walks forward and says "Welcome to Sindria!" his wide smile inviting them into his island Kingdom.

From the corner of her eye, Shirin notices two figures who she recognized as Aladdin and Alibaba.

 _The full circle sure comes quickly …_

She eyes the crowd warily and starts snickering, Sinbad's frantic actions amusing her to no end. After a few minutes, the problems were cleared and Shirin stares at Sinbad's flustered expression. In an instant, their eyes met and a smirk forms on his face.

"Shirin" he says and everyone turns to look at her, the two of them staring at each other.

"It's nice to see you too" Shirin says through gritted teeth as she notes Hakuryuu glaring at her to be civil.

Sinbad slowly walks over to her until he's standing directly in front of her. They awkwardly stare at each other, a storm of unspoken words fizzing in the air. "I'm truly sorry about what happened" he finally says, ending the silence. "If there's anything that I can do to pay you back for my mistake, please just say so".

"There's nothing you can do that I can't" Shirin replies nonchalantly.

"Please do not be offended, I honestly just want to atone for what I have done" Sinbad says, a hint of a plead in his tone.

"I'm not a little girl anymore. I have learned and gained with my own power, and I don't need you to do anything for me" she says.

Suddenly, the light catches Shirin's ring and Sinbad notices. "Is that …" he asks.

Shirin raises a single finger and says "I'm only one away now" and starts grinning.

"Congratulations on the new djinn" Sinbad says with a wide smile, blowing off the ice in Shirin's words. "Now that everything has been cleared up, let's head back to the palace" he says, ignoring the previous argument as he turns away from Shirin.

Slowly, Shirin follows behind Kougyoku and Hakuryuu, an unpleasant feeling sinking in.


	11. I Wish We Were

**AUTHOR NOTE : Sorry about not updating that often. I've been in a writers block of sorts so it'd be really nice if people reviewed! I'll try to update more frequently and I hope this makes the SinbadxShirin shippers happy. Tell me if you approve and want more! thanks!**

"Here," Sinbad says, walking up to Shirin and pauses next to her.

Shirin looks towards him, her legs dangling over the banister of the hallways into the open courtyard. She grabs the drink from him, quickly turning away to face anywhere but Sinbad. "What do you want," she says with a sigh, not wanting to deal Sinbad.

"You don't have time for an old friend?" Sinbad asks and leans against the banister.

"Do you even deserve that title?" Shirin says as she turns back to stare at the stars.

"Does it matter anymore?" Sinbad says, slowly swishing the wine in his goblet.

"No, it doesn't, not anymore. Everything has happened. At least now we don't need to cross _that_ bridge" she says, taking a small sip of the drink.

"Are you still hung up over it," Sinbad says with a sigh.

"Of course, if you even cared about me, you would have found me, saved me. In the end, you'll put me as a pawn before anything else, and I … just can't face that," she says, setting her goblet down next to her.

"I can't be forgiven?" he says as he leans over to set his face on her shoulder.

Shirin freezes, a rush of memories racing through her mind before she can organize her thoughts. "Would it matter if I forgave you? We've gone down our paths, and I for one, can't stand by you as the person you are now," she says hesitantly, so tense that it felt like even a slight breeze could blow her off into the courtyard.

"We'll see, there has to be a way for me to change your mind" Sinbad says with a small smile and kisses her cheek. "I'll be leaving first," and he walks off.

After his steps fade away, Shirin buries her face into her arms, unsure of how to react.


	12. We Will Never Forget

**AUTHOR NOTE : Thanks for reading and all the support despite my horrible updating! Please read and review! I would love to incorporate your ideas into the story and would love to hear more from you guys! Thanks for the love!**

A soft knock punctures the silence within the room and Shirin looks up from the book lying in front of her. She gingerly climbs off her bed and opens the door. In front of her, she sees Alibaba and Aladdin standing in front of her.

"Hi?" she asks, puzzled over why they had come to find her.

"We just wanted to meet everyone that arrived from Kou" Aladdin says with a wide smile.

"Well, I guess we're meeting now" Shirin says, awkwardly standing in the doorway, unsure of how to continue their conversation. "Do you guys want to come in?" she finally decides to ask.

"Sure" Aladdin says, beaming as he and Alibaba walk into the room.

"So are you another one of the Kou princesses?" Alibaba asks as they sit down on the many blankets and pillows thrown across the floor.

"No" she says, not providing much else and leaving an awkward silence hanging in the air.

"Then why are you with the Kou Empire?" Aladdin questions, deciding to venture their conversation further.

"I have a little bit of history with the royal family and when they conquered my kingdom, I made a little deal that entailed me becoming one of their generals," Shirin replies as she picks as a frayed thread.

"Which kingdom?" Alibaba asks, interested in learning more about Shirin.

"Samarkand," Shirin says, not expecting Alibaba to know where and what the nation was.

"Ah! I remember seeing that name on some of the trade deals that my father signed" Alibaba exclaims.

"That was quite a while ago, I'm surprised that you still have an memory of trade between Balbadd and Samarkand," Shirin replies, the direction of their conversation reengaging her attention.

"Of course, I loved the trading industry within Balbadd. On top of that, everything that you traded always fascinated me. The numerous spices and dyes always sparked my imagination, it truly did seem like the country of a thousand colors. In the end, I've always wanted to see what the nation was like for myself," Alibaba says, a bright smile appearing on his face as their conversation starts flowing.

The two keep talking about their two countries, fascinating stories and experiences being brought to light. Shirin starts opening up as their conversation continues, and a bright light appears in their two eyes, the connection they were forming also creating the beginning os a strong bond.

Aladdin smiles as he look into the conversation, Alibaba's ability to make friends with everyone a quality that he loved. As he continues listening, laughing at their absurd stories and outrageous experiences, a nagging feeling appears. After a few minutes, he realizes what had been bothering him the whole time.

 _Why does it look like the Rukh is whispering to her?_


	13. Open Book

**AUTHOR'S NOTE : Thanks for reading my story and all the support! Please review, I'd love to** **incorporate** **your ideas into the plot. Loves!**

Shirin leaned against one of the pillars in the large room, listening to Hakuryuu's conversation with Sinbad. "And the plot thickens as the wheels of fate start spinning," she mutters to herself. She brushes the thought out of her mind and continues listening, trying to figure out what was going to happen.

" … He will become a role model for you … And he is similar to you in many ways … " Sinbad says.

"Oh great, he has another card up his sleeves," she says with a sigh.

After a few moments, the conversation ends and a fuming Hakuryuu walks past her.

"Are you sure that that's your final decision," she inquires as Hakuryuu spins around, an alarmed expression on his face.

"Shirin!" he calls out, shocked.

"Don't worry, I have no reason to report this little incident," Shirin says as she walks away from the pillar and up to Hakuryuu. "But are you really sure that this is the path that you want to take. There really is no way to turn around once you decide to do this," Shirin says calmly, her sapphire eyes piercing through Hakuryuu. Kou itself was a kingdom tangled in lies and mistrust, and all she could do was watch and wish for the best

"You don't understand why I'm doing this," he mutters angrily and stalks out of the room, ignoring the question that Shirin had asked him.

"I didn't think you loved being around me that much," Sinbad whispers into his ear as he walks up behind him.

A shiver runs up her spine, her proximity to Sinbad heightening her awareness. Taking a deep breath, she turns around to face him, a smile on her face. "The world isn't always about you," she says.

Sinbad gently tilts Shirin's face up towards his and says breathlessly, a sly grin on his face, "Even if that's true, your world should be".

Swiftly, Shirin pulls out her dagger and rests it against his neck. "You really should let this all go," she replies.

With a sigh, Sinbad drops his grasp and takes a step back. "You realize that you'll eventually come back to me," he calls out as Shirin starts walking out the door.

"We'll see about that, I have some other business to attend to," she says with a wry smile, leaving him alone in the empty room.

Shirin walks down the busy streets of Sindria, taking in the busy hustle of the everyday lives of the people around her. Everywhere around her were children grasping onto the hems of their mother's dress and the smell of a home cooked meal wafting through the air. A few people wave at her and the echoes of a smile begin to form, the lighthearted atmosphere easing her mind.

She stops at a stall at the side of the road, bartering for a drink and some food. After a few moments, she leaves the stall, hand filled with a variety of food. She continues walking down the streets, taking everything in as she begins to hum to herself. Before she had realized, she was already heading towards the ocean, her feet taking her to where her heart wanted to be.

The ocean was as it had always been, vast but tinged with the final rays of sunlight. She always loved the ocean, it's unpredictable nature as well as its consistency something she appreciated. After a few moments of contemplation, she finishes her food and stands up, ready to head back to the palace.

"Miss, could I ask you something?" a voice next to her asks.

Shirin turns around and sees Aladdin looking up at her, a determined light in his eyes. A heavy tension sinks into her stomach and she can't help trying to ease it. "You know, you really don't have to call me Miss, I thought we had gone past that and were on first name terms," she says, a small laugh in her voice.

Panicked, Aladdin tries to fix his mistake. "AH! Sorry Shirin! I just - uh , forgot," he says sheepishly. .

"No worries, Aladdin," she replies while she laughs. "Why don't we sit down?" she asks, gesturing to the ground.

Aladdin sits down next to her and the two gaze at the setting sun, sinking into the ocean.

"I assume you didn't come out and find me solely for the purpose of watching the sunset together, but for an actual question and an answer, "Shirin says after a few minutes of silence.

"Why does it seem like the Rukh is conversing with you, why does it seem so alive around you?" Aladdin finally bursts out.

"You can see it, can't you," Shirin says wistfully.

"It's not that hard to see," Aladdin responds, trying to gain a deeper understanding of Shirin. For all the information they had learned about each other when he and Alibaba had stopped by to visit her, he couldn't help but have a feeling that there was more to her story than she had revealed to them. And not in a bad way, it was just that … something that didn't seem quite right.

"It's not my place to tell you yet, but I'll give you a hint," Shirin says, turning towards Aladdin. The setting sun silhouetted her as she continues, "It has to do with this" and points to her forehead. "Once you figure out what the role for that is, you'll understand who I really am and why the Rukh loves me, but in a way that differs from how it loves Magis. For now, that's all I can tell you".

Aladdin ponders the words for a few moments and a smile appears on his face. "You know, I think we're going to go on a lot of great adventures together," he says excitedly, at ease with her and understanding, that no matter what she didn't tell, she was someone who genuinely wanted to be friends. With that in mind, he starts planning out their next great adventure, telling Shirin wild stories as his hands fly in the air to illustrate his point, the sun disappearing over the edge as laughter fills the air.


	14. It's Nice to Play Pretend

**AUTHOR NOTE : Thanks for still keeping up with my story! I apologize for all the late up dates and hope everyone will continue to show all the love. Please read and review, I love to hear** **everyone's** **comments and I really do get inspired by them. Thanks!**

"Kougyoku, are you sure you want to do this?" Shirin asks as they stand in the middle of the courtyard.

"Why not? I'm bored," Kougyoku replies with a pout, fingers pointing at Shirin, emphasizing her command.

"As you wish," Shirin says and grabs the tear shaped blade pendant around her neck.

With a smile, Kougyoku pulls out her hairpin and calls out, "Spirit of Sorrow and Isolation, in the name of my Magoi, and my will to grant me a greater power, I order you and your members. Come forth, Vinea!". Immediately, Kougyoku transforms, a fishlike skin and white robe like skirt appearing. "Are you ready," she says with a laugh, flipping her blue hair behind her shoulder as she gazes at Shirin.

Shirin keeps up with Kougyoku excitement, yelling "Dear Spirit of Thievery and Forgiveness, I invoke the presence of thee, grant me the power of thine gifts, Come Forth, Räum!". With that, a long hooded cloak appears over a flowing chiton consisting of numerous fabrics stitched together. Shirin looks up, pulling back the long hooded cloak, revealing a trail of tears flowing down her face and dark scars crisscrossed across her cheeks. "I'll always be prepared," she replied, eyes glowing blue like a cat as she touches the upturned crown lying on her head.

With a wild smile, Kougyoku lunges at Shirin, her blue sword aimed at Shirin. "Don't disappoint me," she cries out.

In response, Shirin pulls out a bow which she quickly transforms into a staff. As Kougyoku swings her sword, Shirin blocks her move with her staff.

A large ringing fills the courtyard as their swords clash, ecstatic smiles appearing on both of their faces. After a few minutes, Shirin manages to land a blow with her staff, forcing Kougyoku to jump back.

The two stand there for a few moments, eyeing each other when suddenly, Kougyoku races back towards Shirin. "Vainel Arros," she yells, a spear of water forming around her sword.

Shirin calmly faces the onset, pulling out her staff, changing it back into a bow. She quickly notches the arrows that her pendant had transformed into and aims them at Kougyoku. With a calculated glance, Shirin lets a few fly at Kougyoku.

"Is that all you can do?" Kougyoku laughs as she swings the sword at the arrows, splitting them in half.

"Think again." Shirin says with a sly grin, setting her bow to her side. "Demelad Taselat," she calmly says. Instantly, Kougyoku is forced to the ground, the fragments of the pendant's arrow on her skirt forcing her to the ground.

"What's going on!" Kougyoku growls, trying to stand up.

"You underestimate me," Shirin says as she crouches next to Kougyoku, a knowing smile on her face. She stands back up and notches an arrow, aiming it at Kougyoku's heart. "Should I end it all here? All the revenge I need for what you've put me through," she mutters darkly.

A frantic expression appears on Kougyoku's face, the possibility of death sinking in.

"That was a great match," a voice calls out, clapping at the show the two had put on.

Shirin retracts her bow and the two of them look up towards the voice. They see Sinbad standing at one of the second floored walkways. "Is there anything you need?" she asks.

"No, just stopped by to appreciate your skill," he says with a stunning smile. For every part of him that was manipulative, he was just as much of a charismatic leader. Every action he took showed that, and it shined through to even his appearance.

"Kougyoku-," Shirin begins as she turns toward the princess, stopping as she notices the blush forming. Holding back a sigh, she turns back towards Sinbad and says, "The two of us appreciate you taking the time out of your day to watch our battle, King Sinbad," and curtsies at him, eyes locked on his knowing grin.

"What is going on!" Kougyoku mutters as they start heading towards the front of the palace. A few minutes ago, a part of the sky had ripped apart and Kougyoku had ordered her entourage as well as Shirin to follow her to see what the disturbance was.

They walk up and suddenly hear someone yelling manically, "And after that… This place … The Kou Empire will destroy Sindria".

"What do you mean … ? Judar-chan … ," Kougyoku asks as they stop in front of Judar, a shocked expression on her face.

"Kougyoku? Ah, Shirin! I forgot, we have six metal vessel users. Shirin-chan here also wouldn't lose easily to you," he says, turning towards Sinbad and then back towards Kougyoku. "Just like you heard! That's why you should not be here anymore! You probably ran away from Kou and came here because you lost you place after the error you committed in Balbadd, but …" he states, a sly grin forming on his face.

Kougyoku starts panicking, flashbacks of her failure floating back into her mind. She hadn't meant to screw up the whole situation, she just…

Judar recognizes her panic and takes advantage of it. "Come back, I'll make you into a general like Shirin! You want to fight as a solider of your country too, right?" he offers, his usual wild smile appearing.

Shirin looks on at the scene before her, hanging behind Kougyoku at the front of her entourage. She eyes Kougyoku carefully, trying to judge the nuances of her expression. Being caught between Judar and Sinbad was a situation no would would want to be in, and she was waiting to see just how Kougyoku would manage to ease her way out of this one.

"What's wrong, Kougyoku?" Judar asks, interrupting the tense atmosphere.

Kougyoku remains silent, a confused and panicked expression conveying her inner conflict to everyone watching and waiting to see how everything would turn out.

Judar sighs but steps back. "Oh well, okay. I'm going back first now, so tell this to Hakuryuu," he says and then turns to Shirin. "Oh, and Shirin, I trust you'll keep the two of them on track. I expect to see you back at Kou sometime soon".

Carefully, Shirin weighs her options. She could acknowledge Judar and properly tie herself to the Kou empire or show her support of Sinbad by not doing anything. "Of course," she says, bowing at Judar. In the end, Judar had helped her conquer three dungeons, her alliances still held closer to him no matter how much she hated him.

"Remember, this country is our enemy now." he says, a maniacal grin on his face. "See you!" he calls out as he flies away, leaving a baffled expression on everyone's face

"I request a leave from Sindria to go back to the Kou Empire," Shirin says as she stands in front of SInbad's desk. Immediately, the guards rush up to her, swords all pointed at her. If she was going to go to the enemy, it would be easier to do away with her now.

"Set them down, it's fine," Sinbad says, waving his hand at them. "Is there any reason that you're leaving now?" he asks.

"As you can see, there is quite a lot of animosity in Sindria towards me, and I really should be getting back to my household," she says calmly. "And I believe that neither Kougyoku or Hakuryuu will appreciate my presence on the way back".

Sinbad ponders for a few moments, and then finally says, "You are free to go," he says, a wistful tone in his voice.

"Thank you," she says and walks out of the room.


	15. UPDATE

**UPDATE : I've been reading through** ** _The Lines Between Us All_** **, and I have realized that as I was writing the story, I wasn't fully developing the story itself or the characters and that I could no longer see the direction the story was heading. Because of this, I have decided to rewrite this story. The first chapter is out and the new version is called** ** _If I Told You Why_** **. Thanks for all the love and I hope you guys can all understand!**


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